Peccadilloes in Nippon and in Nipponese with a Quixotic Perspective. Coming at you from Yokohama, near Tokyo.

August 1, 2005

Ohayo gozimasu (good morning, students)

I met all the students at one of the junior highs today. I'll be teaching there on Thursdays and Fridays. I am not sure if I introduced myself profoundly enough or what, but the students seem well enamored of me. The principal told me to use Japanese, but I'm not sure if he meant in the teachers lounge or classroom or his office or what :/ in any case America de Nihongo o benkyoshimashita ga, made heta desu. That is to say, "hey, I still suck at Japanese."--I have taken lots of pics and explored a lot. Yesterday I rode a couple km and met a man from Nagasaki who spoke very good English; I may go visit his shop. --One guy I work with at the board of education is very enthusiastic about me, and constantly says, "Clayton, you teach me English!"He even bought some English books.--Ate dinner with Mrs. M's family yesterday. It was like hand-held sushi things. Anyways, I plan to make it for myself. They were impressed with my ipod and my comic strip. I burned Mr. M an Enya CD because he really seemed to like her music. I also slipped a little Sarah McLaughlin and Tori Amos in there.--Your Engrish for the day:Spooky photo-dumpuSo I discovered the coolest place the other day. It's a shrine/graveyard. It got a little spooky, especially when I went up the hill through the trees where the bugs number in the millions and they all screech and buzz around.I loved the moss that was growing on everything.

Ironically, there is a daycare right next door.

Cool funeral bell.

When I walked past the doghouse-looking shrines, one of them rattled!

If you can't leave saki for the dead, at least leave some bottled water I guess.